520 Cleaning Up (1/2)
Mid-January, 201 AD.
Guo Jia: \”Want me to switch sides now?\”
Zhuge Liang: \”Nah. Continue playing your role for a bit longer. Try to persuade Cheng Yu and Chen Qun to our side, please.\”
Guo Jia: \”Chen Qun is doable, but Cheng Yu is impossible. That guy is a diehard loyalist.\”
Zhuge Liang: \”Ah, a pity. I was hoping for another helper.\”
Guo Jia: \”Was he really that good? I looked into his achievements in the other world. His jobs were so-so at best.\”
Zhuge Liang: \”Think of the combination of Jia Xu and Xun Yu. He can be ruthless, insane, and cruel to his allies like Jia Xu, but his long-term insight is on par with Xun Yu.\”
Guo Jia: \”Ah, I remember. He ransacked his hometown after Lu Bu has stolen Cao Cao's Yan Province to win the battle. But are you sure about his talent? He was defeated in Chibi.\”
Zhuge Liang: \”That was because of an epidemic issue that Cao Cao had to burn his ships on purpose to secure his army's retreat. Cheng Yu didn't do anything wrong in that battle. Zhou Yu just took all the credits and covered the facts.\”
Unbeknownst to all clan members, Guo Jia and Zhuge Liang had been working together since the day Te Langpu had pushed the election bill in the court.
Surprisingly, Guo Jia disapproved of Cao Cao's conspiracy against Tong as the conflict was unnecessary. From his point of view, Cao Cao should have served Tong obediently and enjoyed his immortality.
In this world, Guo Jia had planned to join Tong after the Battle of Anping Fort, but he was too young at that time. Cao Cao tempted him to join his side a few years later, in which Guo Jia naively jumped to Cao Cao's side.
He regretted that decision, but he was glad that Cao Cao and Tong had joined forces, ending this civil war for good.
Yet, Cao Cao chose to submit to Lilim for more power when the Han Dynasty had already restored.
Since it came to this point, Guo Jia decided to sabotage Cao Cao's faction in secret by not displaying his full potential, giving his lord faulty suggestion and ruining Te Langpu's faction at the same time.
It wasn't hard for Zhuge Liang to catch the hints and contacted Guo Jia and cooperated with him without anyone knowing.
Guo Jia: \”Anyway. I need some of your men as my bodyguards in the case Cao Cao finds out about my intension. I don't think I'm safe with Cao Cao now.\”
Zhuge Liang: \”No problem. Stay safe.\”
.
Guo Jia closed the clan chat menu and leaned back on his wooden armchair. He was alone in his room in Ye City. However, he might have to move to Xu with Cao Cao soon.
'Their next move should be the internal stabilization and the election abolishment. Te Langpu will go down first. Then, it depends on Cao Cao's next action. If he's smart, he will surrender to the royalty and retire from the political world. If he's blind, he will join forces with Sun Ce and Lilim. And then, Dong Bai and Li Feihong will invade Jiangdong. Once Sun Ce and Cao Cao are out of the picture, they will turn around and take down Sima Yi next.'
Guo Jia predicted the royal faction's next moves as he analyzed when he could move to Tong's side.
Cao Cao's ship was sinking. Only fools would sell their souls for this overly ambitious minister and Lilim.
'There's a fine line between boldness and stupidity. Unfortunately, Mengde, you've made the wrong decision, and I won't help you.'
.
.
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= A week later after the shocking assembly =
Even after Li Feihong officially supported the royal faction, Te Langpu's \”democracy pursuers\” didn't stop scheming or conspiring against Dong Bai, Diaochan, or Li Feihong.
\”Will Li Feihong become another emperor candidate?\”
\”That's impossible. Li Feihong is an outsider. He can't be a candidate.\”
\”But Sun Quan can?\”
\”Sun Quan can be a candidate because of his mother. Li Feihong is a complete outsider!\”
Te Langpu's subordinates discussed in private among themselves as they were speculating the next election result. Since the overall situation looked grim for them, they were brainstorming what they should do next to get the upper hand.
Still, they were helpless against the military forces under Li Feihong. Had it been the older days when they could possess private armies, they could have instigated a revolt or a coup d'état.
*VHOOM*
While they were talking, they heard a strange sound. As officials usually held a banquet during their free time, they thought that the noise was from musical instruments of their neighbors.
The group of three men continued their political discussion.
\”Should we go and consult Sun Quan's men? They should support their young lord, right? At least, we can drive a wedge in their relationship, so we can reap some profits later.\”
*VHOOM*
\”Good idea. Is there anyone acquainted with them?\”
*VHOOM*
\”I know a minor official under Zhang Zhao. I can visit him.\”
Everyone's mood got better as they still had hope in this fighting for political influence. They were confident that Sun Quan would accept their support and steal the throne from Tong's other sons under Li Feihong's nose.
Unfortunately, they lacked the updated information and the intel about Sun Quan's stance. They had no idea that Sun Quan and his family had already migrated to Li Feihong's dimension and used it as their new home. The residents in Ye City were merely dummies.
*VHOOM*
*VHOOM*
\”Eh? What kind of guqin our neighbor is playing? Someone is trying to mimic a battle drum or what?\”
\”Dunno. But it sounds kinda … vibrating. Drum beating has a deeper sound.\”
\”It's similar to a sound when you rub a deepest note with a metal.\”
\”…\”
*VHOOM*
A sci-fi sound was audible behind the gossiping men.
A man rushed out with a sword. Within a second, he slashed three times.
*SWUA*